WHY A LIVE EVENT?

ASCEND is built on the belief that every member of the space community has something in common: a commitment to human exploration, effective utilization of space resources, and the long-term sustainability of the space enterprise. The best way to make it happen is to work across disciplines.

Plot the course of the industry’s future

Showcase ideas and technology advancements

Test products and meet the people who built them

Connect and problem-solve with experts from every sector

CURRICULUM

The ASCEND curriculum is built to provide three levels of value:

Large-scale discussions of the trends, economic forces, and challenges facing every member of the space ecosystem.

Focused conversations to apply these big ideas to different sectors, projects, and use cases.

Technical content to go deep on specific advancements and discoveries.

THE LAUNCH TEAM

ASCEND is built by AIAA: the world’s largest technical society dedicated to aerospace, promoting innovation, and convening technical experts who are shaping the future of our planet and beyond. The ASCEND experience is crafted with the support of world-renowned leaders in the space industry, including:

Bobby Braun, University of Colorado Boulder

Tory Bruno, United Launch Alliance

Jim Chilton, Boeing Defense, Space & Security

Mary Lynne Dittmar, Coalition for Deep Space Exploration

Dan Dumbacher, AIAA

Debra Facktor, Ball Aerospace

Jim Free, Peerless Technologies

Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA

Tim Hughes, SpaceX

Steve Isakowitz, The Aerospace Corporation

Fred Kennedy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Robert Lightfoot, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Sandy Magnus, AstroPlanetview

Jim Maser, Aerojet Rocketdyne

Rob Meyerson, ASCEND Executive Producer

Clay Mowry, Blue Origin

Dava Newman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Robbie Schingler, Planet

Kay Sears, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Ellen Stofan, National Air and Space Museum

Mark Whorton, The University of Tennessee Space Institute

George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic

Join the space industry’s foremost thinkers for the international space economy’s flagship event, where you’ll not only get to witness history in the making but play an important role in shaping its future